Photo: Stills of "Peony Pavilion" Courtesy of the organizers
Cai Zhengren led the way, Zhou Xuefeng assisted, and the post-00 lineup... Last night, Suzhou Art School (Suzhou Kunqu School) campus version of the "Peony Pavilion" tour first stopped in Shanghai to open, 17-year-old "Du Liniang", 18-year-old "Liu Mengmei", this batch of 2016 Xiaokun class students truly restored tang Xianzu's "Peony Pavilion" youth appearance.
On the stage, the children's performances are boardy and eye-catching, sincere and touching; under the stage, Kunqu opera artists such as Cai Zhengren, Yue Meiti, Liang Guyin, Zhang Mingrong, etc., who came specially, saw the promising future of Kunqu opera itself.
People are small and ambitious
The 2016 Xiaokun class was pinned on high hopes when enrolling students, which is another six-year kunqu major recruited by Suzhou Art School since the 2006 class, after ten years.
To say that last night's performance was most discussed is Wang Hao, who is dressed up and full of youthful feelings, who played Liu Mengmei in "Garden And Dream". Wang Hao, who is now intoxicated with the water mill tune, first encountered Kunqu opera by pure chance. In the sixth grade, he was still a "secondary two teenager" in the playground tug-of-war, suddenly discovered by the teacher of Suzhou Kunqu School, asked him if he wanted to try singing Kunqu, he did not hesitate too much, and since then life has changed direction.
If you don't go to the garden, how do you know that the spring color is as promised? From "I don't know what Kunqu opera is" to "soaking in the rehearsal hall for eight hours a day", it is difficult for Wang Hao to clearly express his feelings for Kunqu. To say that he had no connection with drama, his grandfather used to sing Peking Opera; but it should be said that his grandfather left early, and he was not infiltrated. At the beginning of his life, he asked Wang Hao if he wanted to become a horn, and he did not hesitate: "Of course I want to!" "People are small and ambitious, and they have hills in their chests: "I want to become famous in order to influence more people to come to Kunqu opera." After all, our generation has a responsibility to pass on. ”
Passed down from generation to generation
Looking at the program book carefully, you will find that Xiaohe can show sharp corners, which is the result of the joint efforts of the three generations of Kunqu people in the Yangtze River Delta. In the art direction column, cai zhengren, a national treasure kunqu opera performance artist, is impressively listed; in the performance lineup, there is also Cai Zhengren's student and Zhou Xuefeng, vice president of Suzhou Kun Opera.
In order to make the final check before reporting the performance, the 81-year-old Cai Zhengren squeezed out a day in the full schedule to Suzhou to give the group of post-00s a play. Go early in the morning, half of the night, from singing to performance, little by little. Back in Shanghai at 10 o'clock, he also had to call and instruct him to list the details of the changes one by one. In Cai Zhengren's view, the inheritance of Kunqu opera depends on generations and generations, and of course, good seedlings must work together to cultivate and support, the road is farther, what are you afraid of?
Backstage of the performance, the children called out "Master Brother", making Zhou Xuefeng feel as if he had returned to his student days: "I am the Suzhou Kunqu School, and the teachers and sisters have studied for six years to come to Shanghai to report on the performance, as a master brother, of course, I want to help them." He ended the night with Yu Zhenfei and Yan Huizhu's version of "Picking Up Paintings and Calling Paintings", which is also the traditional classic version designated by Cai Zhengren to perform.
Practice with a show
As the only art secondary vocational school in Suzhou that trains Kunqu professionals, Suzhou Art School has nearly 400 graduates in 15 classes of Kunqu, including Yu Jiulin, Shen Fengying, Zhou Xuefeng, Gu Weiying and other four plum blossom award winners. President Wang Zhen said frankly that in recent years, Suzhou Art School has adhered to the school-running concept of "promoting teaching with acting and integrating acting and teaching", actively promoted the practice and exploration of teachers and students on the stage, and created a high-quality art stage while cultivating high-quality performing talents.
This is the first time that the Kunqu opera major has embarked on a tour in the 62 years since the establishment of the school, and even Zhou Xuefeng is envious. "One minute on stage, ten years offstage." Stage performance is a central part of the learning of art performance students. Wang Zhen said, "We want to use the real big stage to test the teaching results, exercise and enhance students' professional learning confidence and skills, and also cultivate their sense of reverence for the stage and art." ”
(Xinmin Evening News reporter Zhu Yuan)